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Wrapping Paper Area Maths: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Wrapping Paper Area Maths is a free printable worksheet for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children work out the area of rectangles and the surface area of a cuboid present, so they can say how much paper a gift needs. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work out areas and surface areas of things you might find around a present. They start with rectangles such as a present top, a card, a gift tag and a sheet of wrapping paper. Then they find the area of one face of a cube and the surface area of a cuboid present. The last question works backwards: the area of a square is given and children find its side length. There is space beside each question to write the answer.
- A present top is 12cm long and 5cm wide. What is its area?
- A card is 8cm by 6cm. What is its area?
- A box top is 10cm by 10cm. What is its area?
- A gift tag is 4cm by 3cm. What is its area?
- A sheet of wrapping paper is 30cm by 20cm. What is its area?
- A cube has sides of 5cm. What is the area of one face?
- A cuboid present is 10cm by 6cm by 4cm. What is its surface area?
- A square of paper has an area of 49cm2. How long is each side?
Worked example: surface area of a cuboid
A box is 9cm long, 11cm wide and 13cm tall. What is its surface area?
This is a different question from the sheet. It shows two ways to organise the six faces of a cuboid.
Method 1: pair the faces- A cuboid has three pairs of matching faces.
- Top and bottom: 9 × 11 = 99. Front and back: 9 × 13 = 117. Two sides: 11 × 13 = 143.
- Add one of each pair: 99 + 117 + 143 = 359.
- Double it, because every face has a match: 359 × 2 = 718.
- Write every face: 99, 99, 117, 117, 143, 143.
- Add the pairs first: 198 + 234 + 286.
- 198 + 234 = 432. Then 432 + 286 = 718.
Why wrap presents with maths?
Wrapping a present is a real reason to measure. To cover a box, you need to know how much flat surface it has. That is surface area: the area of every face added together. Children who have only found the area of one rectangle at a time start to see that a solid shape is made from several flat shapes, and that each one can be measured.
Area is measured in square units, such as square centimetres, written cm2. This matters because area counts the squares that cover a space, not the distance along an edge. Wrapping also brings in a practical question. Paper has to fold over the edges and be taped down, so a real present needs a little more paper than the surface area alone.
Skills and curriculum link
- Area of rectangles
- Surface area of cuboids
- Multiplying
- Working with square units
- Working backwards
- Explaining reasoning
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Measurement | Year 6 |
What children will be able to do
- I can find the area of a rectangle.
- I can find the surface area of a cuboid.
- I can say how much paper a gift needs.
Helpful maths facts
- Area of a rectangleMultiply the length by the width. The answer is in square units, so centimetres become cm2.
- Faces of a cuboidA cuboid has six rectangular faces. Opposite faces are the same size, so they come in matching pairs.
- CubesA cube is a special cuboid. Its faces are all squares of the same size.
- Working backwardsIf you know a square's area, ask which number multiplied by itself gives that area. That number is the side length.
Key words
- AreaThe amount of flat space inside a shape. It is measured in square units.
- Surface areaThe total area of all the faces of a 3D shape added together.
- FaceOne flat surface of a 3D shape.
- CuboidA 3D shape with six rectangular faces. A box is a cuboid.
- Square centimetre (cm2)The area of a square with sides that are 1cm long.
- Length and widthThe two measurements you multiply to find the area of a rectangle.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Remind your child that area is length times width, and that a cuboid has six faces.
- Work through the first question together. Ask your child to draw the shape and label its sides.
- Let them try the rest alone. Ask them to write the units with every answer.
- Check with page 2. Ask, "How did you find each face?" Come back another day to redo any tricky questions.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Draw each rectangle first and label the length and width. Write the multiplication underneath before working it out. For the cuboid, sketch the box and mark its six faces, then tick each face off as you find its area.
To stretch confident children
Design a box with a surface area of 200cm2. Choose three side lengths, work out the surface area, then adjust the sides until you reach the target. Can you find two different boxes that work? Explain how you know.
Make it a game
Measure real boxes at home, such as a cereal box or a shoebox. Guess the surface area first, then measure and work it out. The closest guess wins a point. Take turns choosing the box. Adults help if anything needs cutting.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds the length and width instead of multiplying.
Try thisDraw the rectangle and split it into rows of squares. Area counts all the squares, so it is rows times squares in each row.
Watch forA child writes cm instead of cm2 for an area.
Try thisExplain that area covers a space, so it uses square units. Ask them to write the unit before they write the number.
Watch forFor surface area, a child finds only three faces, or forgets the matching ones.
Try thisSketch the cuboid and label all six faces. Tick each one off as it is added, and check that the faces come in matching pairs.
Talk about it
- How do you know which two measurements to multiply?
- Why does a cuboid have matching faces?
- What is the difference between area and surface area?
- Why do we write cm2 and not cm?
- If a square has a known area, how can you find its side?
- Why would a real present need more paper than your answer?
Take it off the page
Box measuring
Collect a few boxes from the recycling. Measure each face with a ruler and work out the surface area on paper.
Wrap a small box
Use scrap paper to cover a small box. Before you start, estimate how big the paper should be. Afterwards, check how much was left over.
Square paper
Cut out squares of different sizes from squared paper. Count the squares inside each one and then work out the area by multiplying.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. Short sessions work well. If they get stuck, ask them to draw the shape and label its sides. Praise clear working as well as correct answers.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, a homework task or an early finisher activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. The questions move from rectangles to a cuboid, so it supports mixed ability groups, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with measuring real boxes around the house. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in maths
Before this sheet, children learn to find area by counting squares and then by multiplying length by width. They also learn to name 3D shapes and count their faces. Fluent multiplication helps a lot here.
After this sheet, children can move on to the area of triangles and parallelograms, which build on rectangles. They can also keep exploring measurement through problems that combine area with other units and real life contexts.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How did you find the area of each face?
- Why is the paper needed bigger than the surface area?
- What units did you use?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Wrapping Paper Area Maths for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. It also works as revision for older children who need practice with area, or as a challenge for confident younger ones.
- What will children practise?
They practise finding the area of rectangles and the surface area of cuboids. They also use multiplication and write answers in square units. One question asks them to work backwards from an area to a side length.
- Is it free to print?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so you do not need colour ink.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Ask them to draw each rectangle first and label its sides. For the cuboid, they can sketch the box and mark all six faces. Working through the first question together also helps.
- Why is wrapping paper needed bigger than the surface area?
Real wrapping paper has to fold over the edges and be taped down. That means a present needs a little more paper than the surface area alone. It is a good question to talk about after the sheet.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand, with no device needed.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or as part of a plan. It can be printed again for revision.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.